Stargirl

Stargirl

by Jerry Spinelli

Leo was just an ordinary kid in an ordinary high school doing ordinary things until Stargirl danced into his life. 

From the start, everyone knew she was different. From her clothes, to her daily class routines, to her ukulele, and even her pet rat, Stargirl was not ordinary. 

At first, she was odd but ignorable. Later, she became the center of everything. And finally, she became a pariah and scapegoat. But no matter what, Leo saw her. 

Less than one school year with Stargirl was enough to change their world forever.

Final thoughts: I have seen this read in middle schools for years and figured it was about a middle school student; I was shocked to find out this was about juniors in high school. The writing is simple and pretty easy to read, so this book is coming off more of a hi-low title. The entire book reads like middle school fiction so I can see why it's read there. I feel like that affects how I read the whole thing. Additionally, the author lets you know from the start that this will not be a happy ending, especially for Stargirl. That darkness looms over the whole book and makes it very difficult to enjoy her character. How can you be happy about someone when the author/narrator keeps telling you things will not be ok? The message is good and I see why some people like this book, but it just wasn't for me.

Rating: 2/5

A Good Day for Chardonnay

 A Good Day for Chardonnay

by Darynda Jones

It's about four months after the events of A Bad Day for Sunshine and Sunny finally seems to be able to have a real life outside of her sheriff-ing duties. She's even going on dates. Granted, they are blind dates that are set up by her parents with men who really aren't her type, but it's a start. Right?

Things get a little crazy when her best friend calls her in a panic over a wild raccoon at his cabin. 

They get a little more crazy that same night when there's a stabbing at the bar of the man that Sunny has been crushing on since she was around four years old (and he was about 6).

Things get even crazier when a cold case from Sunny's past ends up back on her radar.

And, on top of all that, the mayor is holding things over Sunny's head if she doesn't solve the mystery of the legendary group who is thought to run the town.

If only there was some time to just sit back and get a drink!

Final thoughts: I love all Darynda Jones books and this one is no exception. She's got a special writing voice that just makes me jealous. I wish I could come up with these comebacks in a few months, let alone the seconds the characters have to say them. I got a little confused by the Dangerous Daughters subplot as it was mentioned in the beginning and resolved near the end, with nothing in the middle. I feel like either I missed something or something was just missed. Additionally, one HUGE peeve was the use of c*&t in the book. It's just once (at least in this ARC) but it seriously pulled me, more accurately, YANKED me right out of the book. That is such a harsh word and its use was in a place that was the exact opposite of the connotation I usually feel for that word. I hope it gets changed before the final book is released.

Rating: 4/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

 

Every Single Lie

Every Single Lie

by Rachel Vincent

Living in a tiny town means that there are no secrets, but there are always rumors.

When Beckett finds a tiny, dead preemie in the girls' locker room at her high school, a big secret is revealed and rumors run rampant.

Now the town is suddenly wondering who the mother is, what happened, and if Beckett herself is in the middle of it all.

When a new Twitter account starts sharing details that no one else should know, it gets followers from around the world and peaks the interest of local and national news.

Now Beckett is in the center of a firestorm and feels like no one can be trusted.

 

Final thoughts: Almost too real in today's world. Beckett's life has been pretty harsh during the last year, but it's all realistically built and not unbelievable at all. The boyfriend angle was resolved a little oddly, but the rest was solid.

 

Rating: 4/5